New York socialite and yachstman. According to his obituaries he had a duel in Arizona with Publisher James Gordon Bennet who had been engaged to his sister Caroline May 25 years before {According to a 1877 newspaper account May had horsewhipped Bennett{!)
A offen repeated Urban Legend is that while a member of the New York Union Club he'd killed a New York Policeman and was hid by Club Members {American Heritage December 1954.p.31]
The facts are these:
1] "Fred May's Ball Will be Forfeited "Frederick May assault." was on the calender for pleadings yesterday, in Part 1 in the General Sessions, but the case was not called. It will be called toda-y and the $2,000 bail will be declared forfeited. Louis Howard Livingston of 5 east Seventeenth street is the bondsman. Lawyer oss. who appeared for May yesterday,said:
"May won't show up for trial, of course. He'll never come back to New York."
It is beilved at the District Arrorney's Office that May is in Homburg. The charge against him is attempting to shoot a policeman."
ref:New York Sun September 18,1888 p.5
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1888-09-18/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1888&index=0&rows=20&words=assault+Frederick+May&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=New+York&date2=1899&proxtext=Frederick+May+assault&y=11&x=12&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
2] He did not become a member of Union Club Until January 9, 1889
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Officers_Members_Annual_Report_Constitut/4dU1AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Union+Club+member+Frederick+de+Courcy+May&pg=PA45&printsec=frontcover
New York socialite and yachstman. According to his obituaries he had a duel in Arizona with Publisher James Gordon Bennet who had been engaged to his sister Caroline May 25 years before {According to a 1877 newspaper account May had horsewhipped Bennett{!)
A offen repeated Urban Legend is that while a member of the New York Union Club he'd killed a New York Policeman and was hid by Club Members {American Heritage December 1954.p.31]
The facts are these:
1] "Fred May's Ball Will be Forfeited "Frederick May assault." was on the calender for pleadings yesterday, in Part 1 in the General Sessions, but the case was not called. It will be called toda-y and the $2,000 bail will be declared forfeited. Louis Howard Livingston of 5 east Seventeenth street is the bondsman. Lawyer oss. who appeared for May yesterday,said:
"May won't show up for trial, of course. He'll never come back to New York."
It is beilved at the District Arrorney's Office that May is in Homburg. The charge against him is attempting to shoot a policeman."
ref:New York Sun September 18,1888 p.5
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1888-09-18/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1888&index=0&rows=20&words=assault+Frederick+May&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=New+York&date2=1899&proxtext=Frederick+May+assault&y=11&x=12&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
2] He did not become a member of Union Club Until January 9, 1889
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Officers_Members_Annual_Report_Constitut/4dU1AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Union+Club+member+Frederick+de+Courcy+May&pg=PA45&printsec=frontcover
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